Wayward Justice
by Infinite.Elf.Song
Summary: When a Ranger suddenly disappears, Will is sent to investigate. The situation soon becomes a race against time in order to save more lives than one.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is the result of a sudden muse on a snowy day with canceled school. The chapter is pretty rough as I haven't written anything besides poetry in a while. Will I ever see it through to the end? I hope so, even though chapters may be released rather far apart. But without further adieu...**

It was a rare, clear winter day. A bright sun shone brilliantly in a cloudless sky, reflecting with an almost blinding light against the snow-covered landscape. The air was relatively quiet, with the exception of distant bird calls and the crunch of hooves on the frozen ground. While it was a bit warmer than usual, the staggered gusts of wind were bitterly cold and easily numbed the face.

Nonetheless, the atmosphere felt so serene it was hard to imagine that potential danger was looming nearby. One's first guess of the single rider's intentions would certainly not be one of violence, that is if you managed to overlook the person's status as a ranger.

Indeed, Will's purpose for being this far north was anything but peaceful. It was a well-known fact that the fief of Norgate was often subjected to attacks from foreigners who had decided to try their hand at launching an invasion of the kingdom. While such attempts had become much less frequent since one of Will's past endeavors in the area, there were still small skirmishes on occasion.

But outside threats were not the ranger's current concern. He had been sent here for a mission of a different matter. A debriefing letter from the Corps Commandant had arrived at his cabin a few weeks ago assigning him to the investigation of a missing ranger. According to the report, Ranger Harrison had up and disappeared out of the blue. The past months had been filled with routine tasks such as intercepting road bandits hoping to prey on lone farmers. There had been nothing major taking place, nor had there been reports of anything even mildly suspicious. Harrison had last been seen leaving a local tavern after a hot meal devoid of any intoxicating beverages. He missed a morning meeting with the Baron, and upon finding the ranger had vanished without a trace, he had sent an urgent message along to Crowley.

Despite the fact that Harrison had not taken on anything terribly significant as of late, it was still Will's best guess that this situation was brought on by someone seeking revenge. After all, it would require someone highly skilled in order to overpower a capable ranger like Harrison.

A sudden burst of wind managed to dislodge a clump of snow from a nearby tree, the flakes from its branches cascading down and covering Will's head. The ranger let out a yelp as frigid water dripped from his neck and ran down the back of his shirt. Tug seemed to snort in amusement over his predicament as one shake of his mane freed him from the assault of snow.

"I'll have you know that having ice water across your spine is miserable, you oaf," Will grumbled.

"_I have to lug a sack of potatoes around on my back every day. I'll take my humor where I can find it,_" the little gray retorted.

"Especially the times when I have to suffer?"

"_Naturally._"

The pair had managed to encounter several minor inconveniences along the road this day, leaving them much farther from the nearest town than Will hoped they would have been by now. They would not be able to make it there before sundown, meaning a long, cold night was ahead of them. He raised a hand to the horizon and found it time to start searching for a sheltered spot to spend the night. A fallen tree consumed by tendrils of overgrowth not far off would provide enough natural protection from the worst of the elements. Though, it was far from ideal considering how bitter northern nights were.

Couching over the ground, Will dug away at the snow until he had formed a patch large enough to curl up in, and hopefully preserve some of his precious body heat. He then unsaddled Tug and fed the horse as much grain as could be spared. There was no way he'd be able to graze under these conditions. The little horse nickered in contentment after the long day spent traveling over challenging terrain. It wasn't long after Will had settled down, wrapped up tightly in his cloak, that he felt a furry body fold up next to him. With a smile, the ranger pressed his head into the warmth of Tug's shoulder, impressed as ever by the devout loyalty of his horse. Knowing Tug would alert his master at the first sense of danger, Will soon drifted off to sleep.

…

"I'm sorry Ranger, but I'm tellin' you that there ain't been no funny business around here in quite some time."

It was mid-afternoon when Will finally arrived in town after trudging through knee-deep snow. With patches of ice hidden beneath the uneven surface, he decided it would be safer to travel by foot in many areas rather than burdening his mount. Will, upon making his way around the streets, found the people surprisingly willing to answer his inquiries. Willing, or simply acting unconcerned to get him to leave sooner. It never ceased to amaze him how suspicious people could be where Rangers were concerned.

"Then tell me, barkeeper, have there been rumors of any kind? Someone who may have come around asking questions?" Will questioned.

The middle-aged man scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "No one 'sides you. The rumors only started after the Ranger vanished, an' all of that is nonsense made up for folk's gossip."

Will took a small sip from his mug of lukewarm coffee. "What do they say happened?"

"The usual superstitions, vengeful spirits, demons, an' the like. Nothing of value, lest you believe in it." Contrary to most of the people in these lands, the barkeeper relied more on fact rather than fiction.

"Thank you for your time." The Ranger drained the mug before setting some coins on the counter, throwing in a few extra for the man's cooperation.

Outside of the establishment, Tug perked up his ears as his master reappeared. There was no need to tie the horse up and his reins draped loosely onto the ground. "_Anything interesting?_"

"Not here, I'm afraid," Will answered quietly as he swung up into the saddle. "Looks like we'll have to find a town closer to the castle."

They moved along at a gentle trot as the lands here were far less treacherous. It wasn't long, however, until the snow picked back up again and Will knew it would soon become difficult to see. With the hindrance of one of his senses, the Ranger became aware of every whistle from the wind and blow of his mount's breath. It was always better to prepare for the unexpected than to be caught off guard by a hidden foe.

The landscape was completely bleak all around and within minutes Will, as he had predicted, could not see more than a few feet in front of his face. Unable to pick up on any nearby movement, he soon found himself becoming jumpy. On more than one occasion, he thought he had picked out the sound of a rustle in the bushes or a distant horse's nicker muffled by the falling flakes. Every time, Will shook his head and wrote them off as figments of his imagination, resulting from this state of heightened awareness. Then, suddenly, he felt a rumble of warning reverberate through Tug's body, and Will knew he was not alone. Another twig snapped not far off from where he stood. The Ranger tightened his grip on the bow lying across his lap but maintained his outward appearance of indifference.

Many long and uneasy minutes passed by without incident, though Will remained on high alert. Eventually, the tension left his horse and Will found the grip on his weapon loosening. Common sense would say it was merely another traveler passing by on his merry way, but Will's razor-sharp instincts spoke only of a threat.

**Like it? Hate it? Please leave some criticism if you can! I don't care if it is harsh, I need to know what to improve upon. **


	2. Chapter 2

The dark, cedar door swung into the cabin with a continuous creek. As it came to a stop, the air was filled with an ominous silence. A space that should have been filled with the crackle of a low-burning fire and the comforting scent of coffee was now a chilling void. Thick layers of dust had begun to form across the table and counters, and settled into the rapidly-dulling rug as well.

It was clear no one had been home in weeks.

Every one of Will's attempts to pick up information through word of mouth had proven unsuccessful. He was beginning to find it disconcerting that not a single person knew anything about why a Ranger might turn up missing. It was certainly not the sort of thing to take place on a normal basis.

Which was why Will had decided to search the cabin for any clues that may provide a potential explanation.

His soft-soled boots clicked lightly on the wooden floors as he sought to find a candle. The overcast sky outside made it difficult to see, and Will did not want to miss a single detail. A half-melted candle rested in the center of a small dining table. Pulling a fire striker from within his pockets, Will sparked the wick to life, filling the space with a dim glow. Its current state of neglect aside, the modest little cabin was neat and well-organized. There were no signs of a struggle, which meant Harrison had never made it home the night he disappeared.

A light breeze passed through the open door of the cabin, stirring up a few loose leaves of parchment from beside a chair in the living room. They drifted to the ground, sliding across the smooth floor before coming to rest just beyond Will's feet. The Ranger leaned down and picked up the nearest sheet, drawing it closer to the candle to make out the writing. It appeared to be a note paper of some sort with information scrawled across in no particular order. Harrison's brainstorming made little sense to Will, but what did stick out to him however, was the mention of Iberian pirates in more places than one.

Will remembered hearing about Harrison's last encounter with the Iberians, how he'd been injured during a battle, landing him the care of a more low-key fief for years in order to recover. What interest did the Ranger have with those pirates now? Will reached for the rest of the scattered papers, spreading them out flat on the table. One displayed a map of Araluen and the surrounding kingdoms. There were several locations and routes marked in ink but were unaccompanied by any supporting context.

Several minutes of reading through the papers proved futile in the end as they were nothing more than old reports sent out to all of the kingdom's Rangers. But just as Will was about to admit to another failed endeavor, one last half-sheet hidden beneath the map captured his attention. As he looked over the writing, Will felt his first thrill of success since he'd begun this mission.

_Meet me in the town of Essroda in five days time. I have business to discuss with you. Do not fail to show for I am not a patient man. _

**\- A.**

The words were few but no less valuable. Judging by the date, the message had been sent only a week and a half before Harrison's disappearance. It seemed whatever business Harrison had with this person had led up to this current situation. Will took a closer look at the map and found one of the ink marks was, in fact, covering Essroda. Here, from the outskirts of Castle Norgate, the small town was no more than a two days ride east. Two days for the letter to arrive, followed by the five days until the meeting, and another two days home. Nine days in total, one day under a week and a half. Harrison was either followed home, or someone had been waiting for him to return.

Unless, Will thought, Harrison hadn't been taken captive at all but rather chosen to hide himself away. Though, given his ways as a Ranger, it was extremely unlikely. Nevertheless, it wasn't an impossible concept.

There was only one way to find out. Essroda was really more a developed village than a town, and Will knew very little about the people who called the place home. His travels had never brought him through the area but he knew there'd been a few stirrings of trouble when Gilan had been assigned to this fief. However, Will knew for a fact Iberian pirates did not frequent small towns located so far inland. That once again rose the question of why Harrison would be taking an interest in such a group. The note mentioning them undoubtedly had something to do with the marked-up map and the short letter. Did the Ranger know who had summoned him to the meeting before he'd left?

…

The evening found Will settling down in an inn for a warm meal. Although the smokey and slightly rancid-smelling room did little to appease to his senses, he couldn't deny the comfort of a plate of good food and a mug of coffee. Traveling through northern lands this time of year was far from a holiday, and damn if Will wasn't going to take advantage of an opportunity to spend the night indoors. The Ranger had tucked himself away, choosing to take his place at the dimmest table in sight. He was content to watch the comings and goings of the inn's patrons, most of whom, he observed, appeared to be regulars. They seemed to know their place and greeted those they were familiar with. For the time being, no one was paying any mind to the Ranger half-hidden in the corner, clearly out of place.

Not that this mattered to him. It gave Will a chance to consider his plans, and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Since he was now following a lead, he found it best to pay close attention as he drew nearer to the town of his concern. It was more than likely that whoever was involved with this situation wouldn't stick around for long but would rather move on before they let something slip past their guard. With all hope, the people he would be dealing with in this case would have accidentally left more clues behind. Perhaps there was someone they had become involved with in Essroda who could be persuaded into talking.

It wasn't long until Will's nerves began to spark and the unsettling feeling of eyes on his back became pronounced. The Ranger calmly reclined against the rough wall and fluidly allowed his gaze to drift to the space behind him. He started briefly when he met the outline of a mysterious figure, face shrouded in darkness by the deep cowl of their pitch-black cloak. Will let his eyes slip over the man as though he was unconcerned by his presence. He was seated about eight feet away, and Will could have sworn he hadn't been there five minutes ago when he had last made a sweep of the room. He'd kept the door to the inn within his peripheral vision as well and couldn't recall the last time someone had entered it. Remembering the past sensation of being watched in the woods, the Ranger considered the idea that someone involved may already be following him. While there was a chance these two occurrences were not related, Will had never really been able to bring himself to believe in coincidence.

He continued to ponder over the matters at hand for some minutes until a lithe blond waitress broke his train of thought.

"Your supper, sir," she said, offering a wary smile. She laid the expertly balanced tray on the edge of his table and carefully handed him a bowl of steaming stew. After she had picked her tray back up and taken a step back, she continued to stand by nervously as though she was expecting trouble.

"Thank you for the meal," Will began when the waitress failed to leave. "Do you need anything?"

The woman shook her head before sliding a hand into the pocket of her apron, drawing out a slightly crinkled piece of parchment. "There was a man here, dressed in all black. He handed me a generous tip and told me to make sure you received this," she replied, passing the note across to him.

"Have you ever seen him before today?" Will questioned with interest.

Her voice lowered to a cautious whisper. "No, and I hope this be the last time as well. I didn't like the looks of him. I haven't the foggiest what business you have with him, Ranger, but I'd be careful if I was you."

As she scurried away, Will turned his attention to the note in his hand. He gently unfolded the creases in the parchment, revealing the relatively neat script scrawled across the paper.

_My master wants you to know that if you don't keep your nose of his business, you will be next. And he will know of your every move, Ranger._

Sure enough, by the time Will looked up from reading the note, the man dressed in black had disappeared as quickly as he had come. So he was being watched, and whoever this A person was, they had everything to do with Harrison's disappearance.

**Well, it's been more than a few months but I finally got around to finishing up another chapter. Note, the earlier mention of Harrison's encounter with the Iberians is something I pulled out of the books and am now taking my own creative liberty with. The town Essroda is completely from my own imagination. As always, did you like the chapter or hate it, let me know what you think! I am also always open to your suggestions whether writing style or plot-related. **


End file.
